Alert System | Helping clients see around the corner for 33 years

It's one thing to tell clients what to do. It's another to show them exactly how as well as what. Nobody else in your field does that.

Jim Dowd Chairman, Institute for Management Studies

Element One - Scanning

A time-efficient method of staying perfectly informed about the major trends, developments, and issues impacting your career, company, colleagues, family, and future.:

What to look at.
What to look for.
Recognition tips and tricks.
How to think about what you'e seeing.

Ingredients

Here are my favorite browsing, push, or sign-up sources. All are free unless otherwise noted. Many offer upgrades for a fee. Full disclosure: I occasionally get swag if you sign up through the links.

Quartz Daily Brief- If you had to pick one source this is it. Free for the basic daily newsletter. Although you get a US focus there's a global overlay. Arrives in the AM (6 Easter, 3 Pacific). "What You Need to Know." "What to Watch For." "Deeper Dive." "Surprising Discoveries." There's a lot packed into it. Become a member and there are a number of additional features (fee). 500,000 global readers.

Morning Brew General-business (and US) oriented. Nice layout. Appreciate their dashboard. Compact. Typically 4-6 topics. Ad-driven. A staple.

TheSkimm Women-oriented. Kindly suggested by the wise Lisa Peters. Excellent editing and topic selection. I see it daily. Also free. Men - will give you a different take. Great writing.

Axios A best-in-show choice. Lots of options but I most enjoy Axios Future and What's Next. Obviously. You can even subscribe to versions unique to your big city. Leader in journalism and editing. Highly recommended.

The Hustle A little edgier than other options. Still forming a long-term opinion.

Morning Brew Emerging Tech Just what it's labeled - an offshoot of the mainline Brew. This is for those who work in or are influenced by technology. A recent edition featured EV demand, crypto developments, battery storage, and AI-assisted coding.

Finimize I get the occasional good hit from this service. Obviously financial orientation. UK based. I'd put it in my second tier.

UNLIKE:

NextDraft - The "Editor of the Internet" - Dave Pell opens dozens of sources, stories, and tabs on his browser every morning in San Francisco and generates one of the best things on the web - NextDraft. Comes in the afternoon. He's shortened it recently to six topics but it's better than ever. Alert - liberal politically. A great read. Pell is a venture capitalist who's picked well. I don't think he has to work. He should be a journalist. Wait. . . He is. He'll show you stuff you'd never see on your own. Almost a guilty pleasure. Astonishingly free.